


Taz

by minou_demimonde



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-20
Updated: 2013-03-24
Packaged: 2017-11-26 04:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/646449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minou_demimonde/pseuds/minou_demimonde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes two bad things can come together to make something good. Or, Steve makes things all right from a long, long ways away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tkeyla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tkeyla/gifts), [haldoor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/haldoor/gifts), [kaige68](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaige68/gifts).



> For T'Keyla. Prompted by something I saw on Science regarding Military Working Dogs We owe them so much. And Cairo, totally rocks.
> 
> This is also a way of telling a painful truth about the SEALs. If they recall you, you're going to be there for a long, long time. Unfortunately, the bit at the end about one-offs isn't accurate, no matter how it would be wonderful if it was. These men give so much to us. We owe them honor and respect. And gratitude. Not that I think any of y'all are failing there.

So Steve had been gone for close to a year. Getting reactivated sucked for all involved, though Danny suspected that Steve wasn’t completely unhappy about it. His dirty little secret wasn’t that much of a secret: he loved it. He would choose Danny and Grace, and Five-0 all the time. But if given a chance, well if given an order anyway, he would always head out to play with the SEALs.  
  
But the thing that they don’t tell you about getting reactivated into the SEALs is that it’s always going to be for at least a year, and most likely for 18 months or two years stretching into three. It costs that much to get them back into SEAL shape and up to date with the situation. They’re not going to just get them back and then let them head off to their civilian lives without getting any use out of them.  
  
And Danny knew this, because Steve told him, when they got married, that it would be this way. And Danny told him to stay in the reserves all the same, because he knew that it was a part of Steve the way that air and water were.  
  
But that was before. Now, every single day dragged on forever, and he felt like it was never going to end, this deployment of Steve’s. Almost a year, and looking like forever.  
  
The funny thing was that the person who suffered the most was probably Grace.  
  
Over the years, Grace had come to rely on Steve a lot. He was the one person who wasn’t intimately involved in her conception, and therefore in the wreck that had been Rachel and Danny’s marriage. Stan was loved beyond words, but he didn’t count, because he had intelligently recused himself from any dealings regarding custody negotiations, etc. Steve didn’t have to because he wasn’t married to Rachel.  
  
And Steve had fought just as hard for Grace as Danny had, over the past 5 years. And he was completely involved in the fight for her, just not the fight over her. Which made him so very, very important to Grace.  
  
They were best friends, Danny’s husband and daughter. And it was tearing Grace to pieces to be without Steve.  
  
And then her dog died.  
  
He hadn’t been a pup when they got him in the first place. He had been around 6 or 7, the vet said. And now, 6 years later, he had developed diabetes, liver and kidney failure, and had been given the chance to go home to God, and had taken it.  
  
Grace was inconsolable. And neither Danny nor Rachel knew what to do. For nights she had silently cried herself to sleep. Pretending rather badly that everything was ok. She knew that Danny was having enough problems dealing with Five-0, and a missing husband who was most definitely in harm’s way.  
  
But there is no hiding that your heart is broken from your parents. Not when you’re 12, and your heart is worn completely and totally on your sleeve.  
  
And not when you’ve been trying to be brave and strong, because your Steve is gone and you have no idea when he’ll be back. And you’re terrified that he won’t ever be back. Because that happens to some people.  
  
To make things worse, just a couple of days after the dog died, a couple of SEALs were taken down in a firefight in Kabul, and they went on death watch for Steve for three days until they got word who the SEALs were. And they weren’t Steve. But Steve himself didn’t tell them that. The news did.  
  
Steve was in blackout conditions, which meant that they could send him emails and messages, but he couldn’t reply. They didn’t even know if he was getting them. But Grace emailed him daily. Or maybe a few times daily. Or more, depending on the day.  
  
Danny tried to limit himself to once a day, and kept things light, because he knew that Steve had enough on his mind.  
  
So when the dog died, he mentioned it casually, knowing that Grace was going to pour her heart out to her beloved Steve, and that was more than enough angst and sorrow for Steve to have to handle.  
  
So Grace’s birthday was less than a week away. Danny had been thinking of a new puppy, maybe, to help and ease the pain, but hadn’t decided if it would make things better or worse. Other than that, however, he had no ideas what to get her. And Rachel was no help. She was as stumped as he was.  
  
He was at work one afternoon, when the phone rang. Fortunately, he and Rachel had put things aside, in Steve’s absence--especially considering Grace’s reaction to it. But it was also kind of amazing how Rachel had grown to rely on Steve too.  
  
But Stan was home on a couple weeks’ of vacation for Grace’s birthday, and things were ok with Rachel and Danny.  
  
So when he heard Rachel’s ringtone, he had few fears when he opened the phone. That changed in an instant.  
  
“Danny, there’s a man in full-dress uniform at the door. I don’t...I don’t know what to do.”  
  
Trust your heart to stop for a few seconds before your head kicks in. “Rach, they wouldn’t have come to notify you, without notifying me first. And I’ve been here at the office all day. They wouldn’t have had any difficulties finding me.”  
  
Silence, then, “Oh thank God. I sent Grace and Stan into the back yard with Mr. Hoppy, because I didn’t want to open the door with Grace here. I was just too afraid.”  
  
Danny’s heart melted completely, and he found himself on the verge of tears Rachel’s understanding of how much her Step-Father meant to her.  
  
“I think you’re ok. But if you want, you can tell them to wait until I get there to talk to you. Just open the door and let them in, and tell them that I’m on my way.”  
  
“Yes. That’s for the best, all things considered. But hurry.”  
  
Danny yelled to Chin and Kono where he was going, as he headed out the door, not noticing that they looked at each other and then followed quickly.  
  
He arrived at Rachel’s, and his heart sank to the pit of his stomach when he saw an official Navy vehicle. He couldn’t stand the thought that Steve really was gone, and they didn’t know where to find him to make the notification.  
  
He took a deep breath and went to the door. Rachel pulled it open and pulled him into a hug. “It’s ok, Danny. It’s just Grace’s birthday present.”  
  
Well, ok, that made no sense at all, but Danny stepped inside and waited for further information.  
  
The man sitting on the couch was dressed in full dress-blues. A handsome man with the same air of stillness and power that Steve had. Danny wondered if he was a SEAL, and his question was answered before he could ask it.  
  
The man stood and held out his hand. “Dave McAllen,” he said. “I work with McGarrett.”  
  
Danny found that he had been holding his breath, and managed to take a deep one without looking too much like he was about to fall over, even if he was.  
  
“I’m sorry to scare you,” he said. “I had to come home for meetings with the people here at Pearl, and Steve asked me if I could bring Grace her birthday present.  
  
“This is the first time I’ve had a chance to take a break and come over. I leave again tonight, and I wanted to be sure that Steve’s Grace got her present. Not only was he rather adamant, but it’s kind of special to all of us in our group.”  
  
Danny sat down by Rachel, and nodded. “That’s very nice. Is it something that Grace can open now, or does she have to wait for her birthday?”  
  
“Well, it’s something that has to be opened now, so to speak. “ Dave nodded towards a crate on the floor. “She’s sleeping, but she’s about ready to wake up and want a bottle. So you might want to get Grace in here.”  
  
Ok. She’s sleeping? Uh...  
  
Danny must have looked confused, because Dave laughed. “I’ll explain while Rachel goes and gets Grace and Stan.”  
  
Rachel smiled and patted Danny’s arm. “It’s really wonderful, Danny. Just...wonderful.” Then she was gone, presumably heading for the back yard, where Grace was playing with Mr. Hoppy, wondering if her life was about to crash and burn into little pieces. Because Grace wasn’t stupid. And if Mom wasn’t going to open the door while she was in the room, then it had to be the Navy.  
  
When she was gone, Dave looked at him and smiled. “See the thing is,” he said, “one of the dogs that we work with found a...girlfriend. And that girlfriend had puppies. And those puppies were the cutest darn things that you ever did see. And so all the soldiers going home grabbed one and packed them up and headed out.  
  
“All except Taz, that is.  
  
“Taz is the runt of the litter. It looked like she wasn’t going to make it. But Steve, he took a real liking to this pup, and whenever he could, he would come in and love her, and pet her, and hold her, and feed her, and tell her about Grace and how Taz was just perfect for Grace, and how happy Grace was going to be to get her.  
  
“And you know what? That little pup just grew and grew and got stronger and stronger, until she was ready to go come home to Grace. And here she is. She still needs a couple of bottles a day, but she’s eating solid food for the most part, and she’s just about the size she should be for 8 weeks old.  
  
“She should still be with her mother, but unfortunately her mother was killed in action a few weeks ago.”  
  
Dave’s head dropped for a moment, and tears threatened for a moment until he got himself under control.  
  
“She was just a local dog who took to Cairo, but she became a lot more than that to us. We called her Tilly, and we loved her a lot. She was all set to go home with another guy when she got off base somehow, got taken out by a suicide bomber. Losing Tilly broke our hearts. Cairo hasn’t been the same. We may have to change him out. And that would be hard, because we love him too.”  
  
Danny nodded and pointed at the crate. “And you brought her all the way here from Afghanistan?”  
  
Dave smiled, “I see what you did there. I never said the word Afghanistan, did I?”  
  
“Well, no, but I assumed.”  
  
“Assume all you want. Doesn’t make it true or false.”  
  
Danny nodded, then noticed that Chin and Kono were standing in the door, looking concerned, most likely at the fact that a Naval Officer in full dress-blues was sitting on the couch. He understood.  
  
“Come in, guys. Everything’s ok. It’s just Steve’s way of delivering Gracie’s birthday present.”  
  
Chin raised an eyebrow, then smoothly moved into the room in that zen manner that he had. Kono bounced.  
  
“So. What is it?”  
  
“You can just wait and see,” Danny said. “Grace hasn’t opened it yet. Uh. So to speak.”  
  
At that moment, Grace peeked around the corner, her face solemn, and more than a little worried, though she was trying to hide it.  
  
“Can I come in?” Her voice was tentative and soft. Dave smiled at her and nodded. “You have to be Grace. Steve said you were the prettiest girl on earth. I didn’t believe him, but he was right.”  
  
“Is Steve ok?” Her voice got even softer and more tentative. But Dave smiled, “He’s fine. Just wanted me to bring your birthday present.”  
  
Grace flew into the room, eyes wide. “Steve got me a present? How! Where! What is it?”  
  
From the crate, a soft whimpering began, and Dave reached over and snagged it, pulling it to his feet. “Well,” he said, opening the crate carefully, “Steve thought you might need a bit of company now that he’s on deployment, and he thought that this little girl might just be what was needed.”  
  
He reached into the crate and lifted out a tiny German Shepherd pup. She was so little, and so delicate looking that none of them dared move, in case they frightened her. But Dave reached into a bag at his feet and pulled out a bottle, which he handed to Grace.  
  
“Here you go, Mom. She needs her dinner.”  
  
Grace’s eyes opened even wider, and she reached for the bottle, and then opened her arms for the pup, who settled immediately into Grace’s embrace like she belonged there all the time. Like she had been waiting for her.  
  
And maybe she had. As Dave showed Grace how to feed the pup, he continued speaking. “Steve had a couple of pairs of your socks that he used to let Taz smell every single time he went in to hold her. He’s still got the socks, because he needs them. He has them in his TAC vest, and every single day he’s got them right next to his heart.  
  
“But Taz got used to the scent, and Steve sent home one of his t-shirts that he wears on days off sometimes, so she can have his scent too. That’s what she’s been sleeping in. But, as you can see, Taz sure likes to be close to you, too.”  
  
And it was obvious that he was right. Taz was hoovering down her dinner, while snuggling contentedly into Grace’s arms.  
  
Danny felt tears threaten, and then realized that he’d been crying for a while now. Trust Steve to find the one way to make Grace feel secure, and to heal her heart from the loss of her beloved pet.  
  
And Taz may have been tiny, but she was obviously beautiful. Not pure-bred, he thought, so she won’t have the pure-bred issues that can come with German Shepherds. Perfect. Just like Grace.  
  
After her dinner was settled into her tummy, Taz snuggled down and went to sleep. When Grace moved, though, she lifted her head a bit and whimpered. When it became apparent that Grace wasn’t thinking of putting her down, however, she settled again.  
  
Danny thought, “trust Steve to manage from thousands of miles away to inculcate a complete and utter love of Grace into an eight week-old puppy.”  
  
Dave had instructions for Grace, which she listened to solemnly. Rachel and Stan listened as well, ensuring that if Grace wasn’t with Danny, all of Taz’s needs would be attended to in case Grace forgot.  
  
But Danny didn’t think that Grace would forget. Her eyes were shining for the first time in almost a year. And her happiness was almost touchable. A bright, shining light arcing from her face into the air.  
  
Dave left after a few more minutes, making sure that Taz was wrapped securely in Steve’s t-shirt, and Grace’s arms. He gave Grace a hug, Taz a kiss on the top of her head, and shook hands with all the adults.  
  
As he walked out the door, he turned, “She’s had all her shots and things. But you might want to let your vet get to know her anyway.”  
  
Then he was gone. As the Navy vehicle pulled out of the driveway, Danny looked over at Rachel, and found her crying as well.  
  
Stan looked at peace for the first time in a year, and Danny finally realized how much Stan worried as well. He may never have said anything, but Steve was a part of Stan’s family too, if only in that he was Stan’s daughter’s Step-Father. In that moment, Danny realized how stupid he had been to overlook the depth of Stan’s love for Grace. But that was Grace. Nobody could resist her.  
  
Not him. Not Rachel. Not Steve, Kono, or Chin. And not Stan. Grace was safe with Stan.  
  
And she was safe with Taz. Danny looked at the sleeping pup’s paws and realized she was going to be a big dog. And if she had Navy assault dog’s genes in her, she was bound to be strong and protective. Steve had found a way to ensure that Grace had constant protection without having to give her a gun, or teach her hand-to-hand combat.  
  
Danny laughed. When everybody looked at him curiously, he smiled. “Trust Steve to find a way to give Grace a weapon without getting in trouble.”  
  
When Rachel frowned at him, he laughed. “Are you telling me that she’s not holding a fur-coated razor-blade in training in her arms?”  
  
Grace growled at him, Rachel glared, and Chin and Kono nodded appreciatively. Stan just closed his eyes and shook his head. “We’d better introduce her to Mr. Hoppy soon.”  
  
Grace’s birthday a few days later was fun. There was a huge party, with lots of friends. Kono gave impromptu surfing lessons, and Danny drank more than his share of lemonade and ate a huge amount of homemade corn-dogs.  
  
And Taz never left Grace’s arms. Danny began to fear that the pup would never actually be able to walk on her own. But Grace was happy, and in the end, that was all that really mattered.  
  
Though he wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to haul a 70-pound German Shepherd around in a year.  
  
Steve managed to call for Grace’s birthday, and that was the best present Grace could have gotten. Grace and Taz took the call in her bedroom, all alone, so that she could speak in private to her Steve. And when Danny listened to her tell them all that she was heading inside, he finally realized that when Grace said “Steve”, she meant “Dad”. And he determined to ask Steve if he minded if Grace changed from one to the other. He didn’t think it would be an issue.  
  
  
 **Epilogue**  
  
Danny tried to wrestle Taz into the car for a vet visit. She didn’t like her doggy car seat, and always grumped and tried to get away from it when they went anywhere. And it wasn’t easy to get a 60-pound German Shepherd into the car when she didn’t want to be there, even after they put Steve’s t-shirt on her first, to calm her down.  
  
But finally he managed to head her off at the pass and get her buckled in. He didn’t know what he was going to do if she got bigger. Maybe get a bigger car so she could ride in the back.  
  
Grace came out of the door, holding her bag of toys and treats to keep Taz interested and keep her from trying to escape out any possible exit.  
  
Taz was as gentle and loving a pup as you could have ever wanted. Unless, naturally, she thought that Grace was threatened. Or, by extension, Danny, Rachel, or anybody else that Grace loved. When that happened, she turned into the fur-coated razor-blade that Danny had predicted. And only Grace could call her off. Fortunately, Mr. Hoppy was included in Grace’s family, because Taz loved that bunny, which was a relief to all involved. Especially Mr. Hoppy.  
  
Taz loved the vet, and didn’t even mind getting her shots or being examined. Their vet was a good man who loved the animals in his care, and you could tell it. And so could the animals. Taz loved him. She just hated riding in her car seat to get there.  
  
For some reason, today was worse than ever. Even after he got Taz into her seat, she whined and cried, pawing at the chair, trying to escape.  
  
Danny glowered at her, “Taz, I know you hate your dog-seat, but it’s still plenty big enough for you, and we can’t have you just riding around unattached. What if we get in a wreck?”  
  
But Taz wasn’t paying attention to him. She wasn’t paying attention to Grace either, which was odd. Taz was paying attention to the driveway beyond the car. And she was quivering with excitement. Finally Danny got the idea, and turned to look.  
  
There was Steve, stepping out of a car. Coming home.  
  
He was thin. Whipcord lean. And his eyes were haunted. But his smile was unfettered, as he walked up the sidewalk to the car, and swept Grace into his arms.  
  
Danny unhooked Taz, and got out of her way as she barrelled out of the car and into Steve’s arms, too.  
  
Steve scooped the pup up, and held her and Grace at the same time, giving kisses to each of them in their turn.  
  
Danny looked at him, drinking the sight of him in. Finally, Steve put the two of them down, and walked up the sidewalk to pull Danny into his arms.  
  
“You home?” Danny whispered?  
  
“Yep.” Steve answered. “I’m home.”  
  
Much later, after dog and child were fast asleep, after Danny and Steve had gotten reacquainted, something that had been nagging in the back of Danny’s mind for months suddenly burst forth.  
  
“Oh. Shit.”  
  
Steve looked up, “What?”  
  
“You’re in DevGru.”  
  
“What makes you say that?”  
  
“Cairo. Cairo went into Pakistan to help take out Bin Laden. Our dog is the daughter of the SEAL assault dog that went into Pakistan to take out Bin Laden. And you...you’re in DevGru. Oh. Shit.”  
  
Steve smiled, a little crookedly. “I never said that.”  
  
“I should have known,” Danny said. “Yeah, you spent all that time chasing for Wo Fat. Right. And the SEALs don’t allow for one-offs. Ever.  
  
“Yeah. Right.”  
  
Steve laughed, then looked at him. “I can neither confirm, nor deny,” he said.  
  
Danny smacked him.


	2. By the Light of a Cell-phone I will Find You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So far from Gracie. Steve's downrange. Unable to do anything but try and keep his head in the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that is Taz's dad... I can see it now...
> 
> Single, Belgian Malinois male, seeks bitch to hang with. Tall enough, muscular, with handsome darker snout. I like halo-ing with my boys, chewing on persons of interest, seeking IEDs, protecting my boys and chasing after squirters. I'm a dangerous guy to know, unless you're a lady. No long-term commitments at this point. Maybe after I retire. Being a Military Working Dog takes most of my time. But someday I'd like to settle down with the right bitch and raise some pups. Uncut. I can, and will, service you well.

Iran/Iraq Border

Steve was exhausted beyond words. All he wanted was to hit his bunk, and crash for a few years.

But first, there was something he'd been waiting for, for a long, long time.

He lay down on his bed, and pulled out his phone. He took a moment to look at the picture on the screen. Danny, holding Grace. Their faces aglow with the gentle tropical sunshine. Sweet light, he thought. They're in the sweet light. And how good it looks on them.

And how he wished he was there with them, not in this hellish desert, trapped in the middle of nowhere, just outside the Iranian border. Living in an old Iraqi army bunker. Hiding during the day, and running ops during the night. Chasing the source of Iran's nuclear material. Material that wasn't being used for nuclear power. It seemed that this was never going to end, but he couldn't even begin to imagine stopping without succeeding. Grace and Danny, and the life they had built together--all of that was in danger. Steve wasn't going to fail them, or his team.

He hit the mail icon in his screen, and waited for his phone to connect to the crappy wifi network in the Iranian army base across the border. They couldn't afford to have one of their own--too dangerous if somebody noticed. But they could, and did, use a rather amazing signal amplifier and suck off of the Iranian network. And sometimes, you even got a fairly decent signal.

While he waited for his mail to load, he wondered if the Iranians ever checked to see who was using their wifi. Somehow he doubted it.

There it was. His lifeline. His daily email from Danno. An email from his mom, one from Kono, and 8 from Gracie.

Even for Gracie, who wrote a lot, this was a bit much.

The first one told the tale. Her pup was gone. That brave, sweet dog, who had been graced twice in his life with loving owners, had been given a chance for rest. And Grace, being the amazing little girl she was, had let him go.

But now her heart was broken. And there was no Uncle/Daddy Steve to fix it for her. Steve was far, far away from his beloved Grace. And he couldn't even call her to comfort her.

As they headed out into the desert the next night, Jake, his team lead, looked at him. "Something wrong, Steve?"

Tanner always knew. Steve didn't even bother to lie. "Yeah. My daughter's dog died, and she's broken-hearted about it, and I can't do anything to help. But, Commander, you know my head is here, keeping her safe. I'll get home when we're done here."

Tanner nodded, "It isn't easy. But I don't worry about you, Steve. I know where your head is."

They rode in silence for a while, then Tanner looked at him again. He tilted his head towards the magnificent Belgian Malinois on the other side of the helo. "Did you know that Cairo, here, is going to be a dad?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know that there are SEALs or other SOF teams regularly going into Iran in order to keep a close eye on them. But I sure hope there are. And if there are, Steve would be an ideal person to go with them.

**Author's Note:**

> Danny thinks that Taz is a German Shepherd mix. She may be, considering that I haven't decided what her Mom was. But her Dad is a Belgian Malinois. They're slightly smaller than the Shepherds, and more compact. The SEALs almost exclusively use them.
> 
> "Fur-coated Razor-blade" is an exquisitely appropriate description, but it's not mine. James Cameron et. al., in "True Lies" are responsible for that one.


End file.
